Career and Education Opportunities for Marriage and Family Therapists in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Many educational and employment opportunities exist for marriage and family therapists in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area. The national trend for marriage and family therapists sees this job pool growing by about 14.5% over the next eight years. In general, marriage and family therapists diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems.

Marriage and family therapists earn approximately $18 hourly or $37,520 yearly on average in Oklahoma. Nationally they average about $21 hourly or $44,590 yearly. Marriage and family therapists earn more than people working in the category of Counseling and Therapy generally in Oklahoma and more than people in the Counseling and Therapy category nationally. People working as marriage and family therapists can fill a number of jobs, such as: play therapist, clinical therapist, and behavioral therapist.

There are forty-four schools of higher education in the Oklahoma City area, including three within twenty-five miles of Oklahoma City where you can get a degree to start your career as a marriage and family therapist. The most common level of education for marriage and family therapists is a Master's degree. It will take about six years to learn to be a marriage and family therapist if you already have a high school diploma, or just 2 years starting with a Bachelor's degree.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Marriage and Family Therapist

Marriage and Family Therapist video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, marriage and family therapists diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. They also apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of professional services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.

Marriage and family therapists ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors. They also design and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems. Equally important, marriage and family therapists have to maintain case files that include efforts and recommendations. They are often called upon to encourage individuals and family members to evolve and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner. They are expected to collect data related to clients, using techniques such as testing and observation. Finally, marriage and family therapists follow up on results of counseling programs and clients' adjustments to establish effectiveness of programs.

Every day, marriage and family therapists are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings. It is also important that they piece together evidence to, in some sense, diagnose what is going on in a situation.

It is important for marriage and family therapists to furnish public education and consultation to other professionals or groups regarding counseling services and methods. They are often called upon to gather data from doctors, schools, social staff, juvenile counselors, law enforcement personnel, and others to make recommendations to courts for resolution of child custody or visitation disputes. They also write evaluations of parents and children for use by courts deciding divorce and custody cases, testifying in court if needed. Somewhat less frequently, marriage and family therapists are also expected to supervise other counselors, social service staff, and assistants.

And finally, they sometimes have to encourage individuals and family members to evolve and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.

Like many other jobs, marriage and family therapists must have exceptional integrity and have a strong concern for others.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Oklahoma City include:

Career Advisor. Counsel individuals and provide group educational and vocational guidance services.

Health Education Specialist. Promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health by assisting individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors. Collect and analyze data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies and environments. May also serve as a resource to assist individuals, other professionals, or the community, and may administer fiscal resources for health education programs.

Mental Health Counselor. Counsel with emphasis on prevention. Work with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental health. May help individuals deal with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; suicide; stress management; problems with self-esteem; and issues associated with aging and mental and emotional health.

Rehabilitation Counselor. Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, or the stress of daily life. Coordinate activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assess client needs and design and implement rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.

Substance Abuse Specialist. Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Marriage and Family Therapist Training

Oklahoma Baptist University - Shawnee, OK

Oklahoma Baptist University, 500 W University, Shawnee, OK 74804. Oklahoma Baptist University is a small university located in Shawnee, Oklahoma. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 1,753 students and an admission rate of 63%. Oklahoma Baptist University has a bachelor's degree program in Social Work.

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus - Norman, OK

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus, 660 Parrington Oval, Norman, OK 73019-3072. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large university located in Norman, Oklahoma. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 26,201 students and an admission rate of 73%. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree program in Social Work which graduated thirty-nine and ninety-nine students respectively in 2008.

Southern Nazarene University - Bethany, OK

Southern Nazarene University, 6729 NW 39th Expy, Bethany, OK 73008. Southern Nazarene University is a small university located in Bethany, Oklahoma. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 2,069 students. Southern Nazarene University has a master's degree program in Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling which graduated fifty-one students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Distance Credentialed counselor:
A Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC) will be nationally recognized as a professional with training in best practices in Distance Counseling.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma photo by CPacker

Oklahoma City is located in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. It has a population of over 551,789, which has grown by 9.0% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Oklahoma City, 82, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Oklahoma City cost $142,600 on average, which is below the state average. In 2008, 1,474 new homes were built in Oklahoma City, down from 2,559 the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Oklahoma City are health care, educational services, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is construction, public administration, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 21 minutes. More than 24.0% of Oklahoma City residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 8.1%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Oklahoma City is 6.5%, which is less than Oklahoma's average of 7.1%.

The percentage of Oklahoma City residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 65.7%, is more than both the national and state average. Grace Place Baptist Church, Grace Presbyterian Church and Grace United Methodist Church are some of the churches located in Oklahoma City. The most prominent religious groups are the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church and the Catholic Church.

Oklahoma City is home to the Colonial Square and the 50 Penn Place as well as Rotary Park and River Park. Shopping malls in the area include 240 Plaza Shopping Center, 74 South Shopping Center and Council Crossings Shopping Center. Visitors to Oklahoma City can choose from Rodeway Inn Oklahoma City, Harvey Janitorial Sales and Market Source for temporary stays in the area.